BILL ANALYSIS 1
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SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
MARTHA M. ESCUTIA, CHAIRWOMAN
SB 984 - McClintock Hearing
Date: April 19, 2005 S
As Introduced: February 22, 2005 FISCAL B
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DESCRIPTION
Existing law declares the policy of the state to encourage the
use of nuclear energy, wherever feasible, recognizing that such
use has the potential of providing direct economic benefit to
the public, while helping to conserve limited fossil fuel
resources and promoting clean air.
(Chapter 1299, Statutes of 1970)
Existing law prohibits any new nuclear fission power plant until
the California Energy Commission (CEC) has determined that
technologies exist for the reprocessing of nuclear fuel rods and
the disposal of high-level nuclear waste.
(Chapters 194 and 196, Statutes of 1976)
Existing law requires the CEC to prepare an inventory every five
years of greenhouse gas emissions from all sources located in
the state. The inventory includes power plant emissions.
(SB 1771 (Sher), Chapter 1018, Statutes of 2000)
This bill requires the CEC to prepare an inventory of existing
"zero-emission" power plants, including wind, solar and nuclear
plants, and compare their emissions, including greenhouse gas
emissions, with emissions from gas power plants.
BACKGROUND
The terms "global warming" and "global climate change" refer to
the rise in the average temperature of the earth's climate due
to an accumulation of "greenhouse gases" in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous
oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur
hexafluoride.
While the political debate over the existence, cause, and
effects of global warming, and what to do about it, continues,
the prevailing wisdom among climate scientists is that global
warming is occurring and that measures should be taken to
address its effects.
SB 1771 required the CEC, in consultation with other state
agencies, to update California's inventory of greenhouse gas
emissions in January 2002 and every five years thereafter. The
inventory is to include all emission sources in the state that
were identified in the CEC's 1998 report, "Historical and
Forecasted Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories for California,"
including power plants.
According to the CEC's 2002 report, "Inventory of California
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-1999," current research
has largely supported earlier scientific findings that emissions
of greenhouse gases from human activities have been steadily
increasing since the industrial revolution. In addition, the
United Nations-sanctioned technical body, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, reported in 1999: "There is new and
stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the
last 50 years is attributable to human activities."
California has seen a modest increase in greenhouse gas
emissions over the last decade. This increase is the consequence
of several divergent forces within California, some leading to
increases in greenhouse gas emissions, and others negating those
increases.
Several key California industries emit only moderate amounts of
carbon dioxide. With a relatively temperate climate, California
uses relatively less heating and cooling energy than other
states. As a leader in implementing aggressive efficiency and
environmental programs, California has been able to reduce CO2
emission rates in all sectors, as well as reducing energy demand
and air pollution emissions. However, California leads the
nation in vehicle miles traveled. As a result, CO2 emissions
from the transportation sector are increasing.
California uses fossil fuels differently than the United States
as a whole. Compared to most other states, California uses less
fossil energy to generate electricity. This lower reliance on
fossil fuels is due to the availability of hydroelectric and
nuclear power, and the continuing and growing use of renewable
energy. The predominant fossil fuel for electricity generation
in California is natural gas, which emits relatively less
greenhouse gases than oil or coal, the predominant fuel in many
other parts of the country. As a fraction of its total fossil
fuel use, California uses more fossil fuels (primarily gasoline)
in the transportation sector.
The CEC's report suggests that the most significant reductions
in CO2 emissions, which represent close to 88% of all greenhouse
gases in the state, can be achieved through 1) continued energy
efficiency programs in all sectors, including electricity
generation; 2) further developing and integrating renewable
energy resources into electricity supplies; and, 3) promoting
transportation energy efficiency strategies. Although it would
curb growth in CO2 emissions compared to natural gas, the CEC
did not suggest additional nuclear generation. In 1976, the
Legislature enacted a moratorium on new nuclear fission power
plants until the CEC determined that technologies exist for the
reprocessing of nuclear fuel rods and the disposal of high-level
nuclear waste.
COMMENTS
1. Nukes not "zero emission." Nuclear power plants do not
emit carbon dioxide. However, nuclear plants emit cooling
water, a source of coastal pollution, and radioactive
waste, the disposal of which presents an environmental
health hazard. Nuclear power also produces small amounts
of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the CEC's 2002
report, nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas) is generated as a
by-product of nitric acid production. Small quantities of
nitric acid are used in nuclear fuel processing. The
association of the term "zero emission" with nuclear power
production is a misnomer.
2. Legislation not required. This bill doesn't add much if
anything to information already collected and reported by
the CEC. The author's objective likely could be
accomplished more economically by simply asking the CEC to
include a table comparing greenhouse emissions of
renewable, nuclear and fossil fuel generation sources in
the next greenhouse gas inventory update, which is due
January 1, 2007.
POSITIONS
Sponsor:
Author
Support:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (if amended)
Southern California Edison
Oppose:
Sierra Club California
Lawrence Lingbloom
SB 984 Analysis
Hearing Date: April 19, 2005